I love homeschooling. I love having time to grow and think together. I love the challenge of finding new ways for my children to learn. I love the flexibility of taking field trips whenever we want or need them. I love that we can learn together without divisions in ages and grades. I love that we can talk about our Lord and Savior throughout the day. I love that my children can dissect a cow’s eye (with their father, not me!) or draw up plans for a new invention or hang up x-rays from all of the windows in the living room when that is the thing they want to do. I love that my fourth grader can do third-grade math and high school level reading. I love that my children learn how to love one another and what it means to be someone’s best friend for better and for worse.
I. SIMPLY.LOVE.HOMESCHOOLING.
But really my favorite part of homeschooling is finding joy, making joy, and sharing joy with my children. Psalm 126: 3 says, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Just like I prepare for our school subjects, once a week, I plan a Joyful Moment. It may be a special excursion, art project, game, treat, craft, cuddle session, field trip, or just about anything that I think might bring delight to our family. I determinedly plan a Joyful Moment, so that I don’t forget. I don’t want to leave out one of the most important aspects of our homeschooling.
However, being joyful is not about the circumstances, the fun things you can do, but instead joy is a purposeful action, an attitude. All of the most terrific planning and preparation is for not if our attitude is not right. When I first started planning a Joyful Moment every week, I was really excited. We were going creeking at a local park, but I didn’t tell the kids what we were going to do. When we pulled into the parking lot, I got groans from the back seat. Right then and there we started talking about what makes something a fun, adventure. It isn’t the situation, it is you, your attitude, the joy you bring to what you are doing. At the end of the adventure, my oldest looked up at me and said, “You were right Momma. That was great!”
Making the time to incorporate joy into our homeschool, both in special times and in the middle of a chaotic day, has been a true blessing for our family.
Wishing you homeschool blessings and lots and lots of joyful moments!
Bethany is actively working at being joyful every day with the children she adores. You can see the Joyful Moments in her homeschool at Little Homeschool Blessings. Every Thursday, you can see her favorite Joyful Moment of the week and share yours, too! If you want to find some suggestions, Bethany has made a list of possibilities: Joyful Moments.
